Closer to Caitlin
by 50ShadesOfGay
Summary: An explosion throws Gibbs closer to Caitlin. I don't want to give too much away, PLEASE R&R! :


**Hey! I WILL upload the third chapter to "Beautifully burned." But this idea just came to me, and I think y'all will LOVE it! It's going to be a one-shot but if you guys want a sequel I'll write one. So, enjoy! **

When you're in a situation, an unknown, dangerous, deadly situation, people tell stories of how everything felt like it was in slow motion, as if watching themselves from someone else's point of view. For me, however, everything was different. Every moment scrolled quickly past my eyes, I watched myself be thrown from my position next to the car, the flames grabbing at my clothes and skin. I could smell the flesh being burned, I could feel it, but I couldn't; I was numb, had I always been numb? Everything was quick, but never failed to be detailed because I knew where I was going, more importantly who I was going to. I'm Gibbs, and this time; I'm not going to fight for my life.

I open my eyes, the first thing I do? Scan. I'm sat at my desk, positioned with my feet propped on my desk, as if I've been sleeping. I rub my eyes, tiredly. Did I dream the whole damn thing? My eyes trail to McGee's desk, empty. Then to Tony's, still nothing, Ziva's too. I slowly rise from my seat, stretching my back, stifling a loud yawn. I'm suddenly puzzled as I see something at the corner of my eye, were they? Yes, feet. I hesitantly walk around my desk and to Ziva's. I'm stopped in my tracks, unable to move, I feel tears abuse my eyes but fight back, I'm Gibbs, I don't cry. It couldn't be, could it?

Suddenly I find my knees bending and I'm stroking her hair, securing the blanket around her shoulders. It's her, it's really her. Her eyes opened not slowly, but not quickly. She looked at me, just, looked. I was looking at her finally for the first time in what? 7 years? Yeah, it's been that long. None of us said a word, nothing needed to be said because we just looked at each other. Her eyes, her big, brown, sparkling, gorgeous eyes gazed into mine. I saw joy, sadness and was that, dare I say, love? I was in awe, of her beautiful face; it was just the same as it was 7 years ago; minus the bullet hole in her forehead, of course. I stood sharply and stepped away from her, blinking several times before perching on Dinozzo's desk.

"Gibbs?" Her voice was a knife, cutting through me, bringing back all hurt, all sorrow that I had pushed back all those years ago.

"You're dead, Kate, I saw you. I saw you dead; you, you got shot." I'm pretty sure I was telling myself this, rather than her.

After a few minutes of silence I look up and catch her gaze once again. In that moment, in that magical, dreamy moment, I fell in love with her again.

"It's me, Gibbs, its Kate. It's _your _Katie." Everything felt so real, but the explosion felt real, was it real?

"Katie?" I manage to whisper, so quietly it was almost just a sigh.

"I know, I know it's hard to grasp. You were in an explosion Gibbs, I saw the whole thing."

I feel myself frowning; my brain tries to make sense of everything but I can comprehend nothing. "I'm dead...?" I ask her. "If you're dead, and you're here. Then, I must be dead."

She giggled softly, "No, you're in a coma Gibbs, you're here temporarily."

That giggle, _her _giggle. She only ever giggles like that when she's with me, my own personal melody; the perfect symphony. I sink down and sit with my back to Dinozzo's desk, taking a deep breath. It's funny, how I'm not breathing but I am; it was... odd. I feel her body close to mine as she mimicked my position, her knees halting shorter than mine. I hesitate, but my mind get's the better of me and before I know it I had slipped my hand into hers, our fingers intertwining.

"Why am I here Katie? No, more importantly, why are _you _here?" I sigh, giving her hand a soft squeeze. I felt almost, peaceful.

"You chose to come here, Gibbs. You'd be awake by now but no, you, how everyone famously puts it, 'Went into the light.' And now you're here" She paused. "With me." She nudged my shoulder with hers, a small smile etched on her lips.

"But why with you Kate?" I'm still confused, I deserve answers, and I _need_ answers.

"When you die, or you're close to death. This thing or person you are thinking of at the time of going 'into the light' well, you get to see them, feel them. It's not a hallucination unless that person is still alive and Gibbs, I'm dead; so it's really me." Something was still off, she seemed, sad.

"Oh." Was all I managed to say before suddenly in front of me there was faded black and white videos of everyone, watching over me, my face battered and bruised.

I hear Ducky and Abby talking, I stand and reach out but my hand goes through the pictures. "I don't know Abigail, Jethro has always been unpredictable." At this comment from Ducky, I smile, he knew me all too well.

"It's been 4 months Ducky, the doctors say another month and we'll have to turn off the life support." Abby is clearly upset, her always carefully applied eye-liner down her face, staring at my burned face. "Do you think he's with her? He's happy now, with Kate?" My eyes were glassy as I watched the scene that was unfolding in front of my eyes.

"Some people say that when you die, or are close to death, you see the person you love and, that's what keeps you there. That's what drags you from life. But what I do know Abigail, is that he's happy." I have never seen Ducky like this, he was upset, and he was, broken. Tony looked loss and as for Abby, I was practically her father.

They need him, they need to hold down the fort, to hold the team together, but where he was now, _she _was still alive. Kate, his Katie.

All he felt was her arm wrap around his and her hand slide into his palm. "Go." She whispered in my ear, sorrow claiming her voice. Oh my Katie, such a selfless one.

"I can't, you need me here." I suddenly choke.

She shook her head and for the third time her brown eyes her fixed to mine, only now they were filled with thousands of held back, unshed tears. "I don't need you here, I can wait."

I look over her face slowly, taking in her perfect, beautiful features. "_I_ need you, Katie."

"You've done pretty well without me so far, haven't you?" She stated, with a forced smile.

I bob my head in agreement, but that didn't change the fact that I needed her in my life. Slowly, hesitantly, our lips meet in a slow, sensational kiss. When we parted our foreheads were pressed together, our noses touching, staring into each other's eyes.

"I'll wait for you Gibbs." Was all she said. We walked backward until only our fingers her linked.

"Go." She whispered, tears sliding down her flushed, soft cheeks.

I gasp. Take a deep breath.

"He's stable." I hear a relieved, deep voice say. I open my eyes; my ears abused my loud beeping and my eyes attacked by bright light.

I'm alive; without my Katie.

**I hope you enjoyed it! I'm not sure if I like the end... I have an alternate ending so I might upload it as a second chapter if you guys R&R and tell me you liked it, or not. Anyway, I hope you did and R&R, PRETTY please! **

eyesoing to fight for my life. more importantly who I was going to. I' I being burned, I could feel it, but I couldn'


End file.
